CDS, General Musa Christopher urges stronger media-military synergy against terrorism
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has called for a deeper partnership between the military and the media in the fight against terrorism and other security challenges.
Musa made the call on Wednesday at the one-day 3rd Quarter Media Stakeholders Seminar in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The seminar, themed “Consolidating Media-Military Synergy for Sustainable Peace in Nigeria,” was organised by the Defence Media Operations.
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Represented by Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, the CDS said the Armed Forces remained steadfast in fulfilling its constitutional mandate to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He stressed that military operations could not be conducted in isolation, hence the need for collaboration with the media through effective information management, public perception building, and strategic communication.
He also expressed appreciation to troops serving in various theatres of operations across the country, praising their sacrifices under difficult and dangerous conditions. Musa further assured military personnel of continued support and the provision of welfare.
In his remarks, the Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, reaffirmed theu command’s commitment to tackling terrorism and highlighted the importance of structured engagement between the media and the military.
“There must be structured and timely communication between the military and media. Spokespersons on both sides must operate within clear protocols to ensure information is accurate, verified and responsibly disseminated.
”Journalists should be trained periodically in conflict-sensitive reporting and strategic communication, while military personnel must also be sensitised on media relations and the value of press freedom,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, restated his administration’s commitment to upholding press freedom and urged journalists to steer clear of fake news.
Zulum, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, commended the military for organising training sessions to strengthen media-military collaboration in pursuit of lasting peace.
